


Power and Control

by Mathais



Category: Digimon Frontier
Genre: F/M, M/M, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2005-08-04
Updated: 2012-02-06
Packaged: 2017-10-30 16:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/333964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mathais/pseuds/Mathais
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kouichi dies from the damage done to his soul, Takuya and Kouji vow vengeance on all angel and demon digimon, leaving Tomoki, Junpei, and Izumi to try to save their shattered group from a darkness that's all too close.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When Power Defeats Control

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Digimon does not belong to me in all its incarnations.

"This is insane!"

Eighteen-year-old Izumi Orimoto slammed her fists down on the table, her long blond hair flying behind her. It was no longer covered by a hat, now left open to the wind. Shadowed green eyes flashed with many dark emotions, sharp pain underlying them all. "You cannot do this!"

"Why not?" replied an icy cold tone. Kouji Minamoto's frosty blue eyes bore into her own, pain also prevalent within them. The two were of equal heights and ages, though Kouji was by far the more intimidating at the moment. "You know that it's _their_ fault it happened."

"It is not!" another voice denied, this one carrying a masculine, strong tone. Junpei Shibayama, eldest of all the assembled though only by a year, was unmovable with his crossed-arms pose. "It was Lucemon's fault, not all angel and demon digimon!"

"And whose fault was it that we, no, _Kouichi_ was called? Cherubimon's fault! And Ofanimon called us to fight! Then Lucemon, a Demon Man digimon, wounded Kouichi, which led to his death!" Takuya Kanabara's brown eyes blazed like the fire he had been known for as the Warrior of Flame. He had grown to be of average height, but his personality burned very brightly with a barely contained passion. Right now, that passion was centered on the hatred of what had been done. "We **have** to do this! You're with us, right Tomoki?"

All attention was soon focused on the remaining member of their group. Their formerly shortest member had hit several growth spurts since the conclusion of their original journey years ago and now stood eye to eye with Junpei, despite being four years his junior. Tomoki Himi was the remaining factor—usually bright cyan eyes were now completely shadowed by pain and loss. When he spoke, it was with a calm that could be attributed either to his Warrior of Ice days or to the weariness settling within his body.

"I can't condone genocide," he told the older members, continuing when he saw Kouji's glare, "and I doubt Kouichi would allow it as well. You, Kouji, of all people should know that."

Kouji flinched, but Takuya immediately retaliated against the accusation in the Chosen of Ice's words. "We know what we're doing, and we're going to do it with or without your help."

"You won't have Chackmon's help, or Lowemon's for that matter!" Tomoki shouted, losing his cool at Takuya's words.

"You do **not** have the authority to deny us the Spirits of Darkness," hissed Kouji darkly, recovering in an instant. "They were my twin's, and he bequeathed them to _me_."

"If you want to play it that way, then neither Fairymon and Ranamon," Izumi paused and, upon receiving confirmation from Junpei, continued, "nor Blitzmon and Grottomon will help to you. You can't act, because we have match you in the Warrior count and outvote you here." Her eyes suddenly weakened with fatigue. "Please. Kouichi would not have wanted this."

"That's too bad," Takuya spoke. He turned away, avoiding Izumi's pleading eyes, and Kouji followed suit. "You gave the Spirits of Water and Earth to us already as well, so we outvote you in the Spirits. We're going and hell will come to any angel or demon who crosses our path."

"And we **will** have the Spirits of Ice, Wind, and Thunder aiding us, whether they come willing or not," added Kouji icily.

That line caused Izumi and Junpei to stiffen in shock, though it caused an entirely different effect in the Chosen Child of Ice.

"Wait!" Tomoki made a desperate lunge for the pair, but Takuya held his hand out, faded remnants of his Warrior of Flame powers appearing and releasing a burst of heat. Tomoki instinctively formed a barrier of cold air to defend himself, though the force of the heat slammed him back into the wall.

"Tomoki!" Izumi and Junpei cried at the same time as they rushed to the fallen teen. It was at that point that Takuya and Kouji exited, presumably toward the Trailmon Terminal at Shibuya.

Tomoki folded into himself, bringing his knees up to his face. The pure despair etched on his face stabbed deep into the remaining pair's hearts.

His sobs echoed throughout the room, bringing a desolation which would not dissipate any time soon.

**OoOoO  
**

"We have to stop them," Junpei sighed as he leaned against the dresser.  Tomoki was currently curled up in bed, utterly worn out.  The past week had been extremely tiring for the teen, with Kouichi's funeral to deal with and then Kouji and Takuya's insane vows of revenge and genocide.  Izumi sat on his bed, carefully running her hand through his soft brown locks, declining to answer for a moment.

When she answered, it was in a soft voice filled with the desolation she currently felt. "But how? By now, they've got all our Spirits and probably have or are close to killing off HolyAngemon, Angewomon, and Andiramon," questioned Izumi, referring to the Three Great Angels in their Perfect forms.

"The remnants of Lucemon's supporters are probably half gone as well," added Junpei pessimistically.

The two waited in the silence, Izumi continuing her gentle ministrations on Tomoki.

"When did it turn out like this?" asked Izumi, her voice quiet.

Junpei didn't answer, choosing instead to keep his gaze locked on Tomoki's face. It was so youthful now, reminding him that, despite his early maturity, Tomoki was little more than a fifteen-year-old who had watched his boyfriend die before his eyes and then had seen the person he looked up to decide to commit genocide. The tear stains on his face and the bags beneath his eyes were proof that he hadn't had the best of nights for a good long while.

"When Kouichi grew sick," was his honest reply.

Izumi quieted, her gaze once again falling on the teen at her fingertips.

"Yeah," she agreed, her eyes darkening.

The two remained in silence, continuing to watch Tomoki. A sense of helplessness permeated through the air. Takuya and Kouji's betrayal had struck them all hard, especially after they were already sent reeling by Kouichi's death. Izumi knew that Tomoki had had one of the toughest times, being Kouichi's boyfriend throughout his steady weakening and then his death. And she knew that Kouji had been hurt badly by the loss, which spread to Takuya in turn.

And yet, there was nothing she or Junpei could do to help.

She gripped her jade necklace tightly as she felt her own tears, hot and angry, burn in her eyes.

"The Digital World's going to fall into ruin," said Junpei quietly. Izumi looked up, finding something in his tone that made her want to listen. "Takuya and Kouji aren't going to stop at angels and demons. They're going to soon spread to all the Knight digimon because of the Royal Knights, then every digimon that ever hurt Kouichi... and them. That's how bad they're going to get."

"They're going to ruin the world," Izumi realized, to her horror. "The Digital World will collapse in on itself, with so few digimon to protect it. And even if they themselves don't and since we can't be there forever, what will happen when something else decided to invade or rule?"

Silence met the question; there was nothing they could do.

"But what are we going to do about it?" asked Junpei finally, his voice lowering.

"We fight."

The quiet voice froze them in their tracks. They turned slowly to the Chosen of Ice, who sat up slowly and carefully. His whole body screamed fatigue, but there was a quiet strength in his gaze that was worthy of AncientMegatheriumon and his Ice lineage.

"I don't care how, but we have to stop them before they are lost." Tomoki's gaze grew distant with a sadness which few would attribute to a normal teen, but Tomoki was anything but. None of them were.

"We owe that to Kouichi," here he paused before continuing, "and to Kouji and Takuya themselves for everything they had done before."

"We don't have any means to get to the Digital World though," Izumi insisted. It was a truth she had to state because she doubted that the Trailmon Terminal was still standing, and their last travel to check up on the place had involved using the power of the Spirits.

As if her words set off something in the workings of fate, a large portal opened in the sky. Izumi and Junpei took ready positions in front of Tomoki, instinctive after their self-defense classes, and waited for what was to arrive.

What _did_ appear shocked them.

A small, yellow, vaguely rabbit-like creature flew through the opening in space, landing securely in Tomoki's arms with a small thump.

"Neamon!" the Chosen Child shouted once he realized exactly who was in his arms.

"Last time we checked, he was Chronosmon," commented Junpei as he shared a glance with Izumi, crowding around the fallen Child-level digimon.

"Tomoki?" the digimon asked weakly.

The Chosen of Ice immediately laid the digimon down, noticing the burn marks on his body. "Neamon? Where's Encyclomon?" he asked, referring to Bokomon in his Perfect form as the angelic keeper of history.

Great tears fell out of the Neamon's eyes as he spoke in a hushed voice, tears choking his every word. "KaiserGreymon suddenly appeared. We greeted him, but he took a swipe at Encyclomon. I tried to defend him, but he forced me to revert to Neamon. Then he killed Encyclomon, saying that all angel digimon must die." Neamon's tears continued and he spoke in a voice that few would recognize if they had only known him years ago. "Before Encyclomon disappeared, he sent me through a portal with the last of his powers. What happened to Takuya?" The small digimon weakly grabbed Tomoki's shirt, his voice rising. "What happen to Takuya to make him like this?"

"Kouichi died," answered Izumi in her own sad voice, to which Tomoki flinched and Neamon's arms grew limp.

"Takuya and Kouji vowed revenge on all angel and demon digimon and took our Spirits to become KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon. They are now on a rampage throughout the Digital World," Junpei added in a matter-of-fact tone, unwilling to use emotion unless he wanted to loose his own tears.

"But..." Neamon's eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Lucemon!"

"That scan damaged him in a way he couldn't recover from," Tomoki explained quietly. "And now... We're powerless."

Neamon, contrary to what he was before his evolutions, was not stupid. He noticed the shaking of Tomoki's hands, the sign of unsettled nerves. He noticed the darkness which flittered across the eyes of Izumi and the sadness at Junpei's very core. He understood what it meant.

"You can still try to talk them down," the digimon insisted. "The Trailmon Terminal's still up." That caught the attention of the three. "Please," he finished with a pleading tone.

The three remaining Chosen Children shared a look which had been developed from their long bond. With a maturity usually unseen in them, they simultaneously stood and walked out, Tomoki cradling Neamon in his arms.

They had to do this.

There was no other option.


	2. When Control Looks to the Past

Tomoki glanced out of the train attached to Trailmon Worm, seeing the tunnel which had originally taken them to the Digital World seven years ago.  Junpei and Izumi were taking the time to cuddle like the couple they were; they were being discreet about their interactions though.  Tomoki was grateful for the that and the fact that they had found a compromise in both trying not to offend him after losing Kouichi and enjoying each other unless something happen to them.

His eyes grew dark and distant with a mixture of sadness, pain, and wistfulness.  He missed Kouichi so much, even though the... funeral had only been a week ago.

Neamon was clutched firmly in his arms—the digimon had refused to be left at the Trailmon Terminal to be looked over despite his injuries—but he wasn't focused on him.

His mouth opened and caught the attention of the other two humans, words pouring out about the past.

The three began to talk, instantly being transported to a time when things were happier...

...when they were more carefree.

**OoOoO**

Tomoki grinned at Takuya, shoving his hat onto his head after it had been stolen to allow a warm hand to ruffle his hair.  He had finally grown taller and was no longer at Takuya's stomach anymore.  He was now able to stare at his chest!  It wasn't a _big_ improvement, but it was _something_.

"Yo Tomoki, you're a lot taller!"

He hadn't been able to keep up with the other members of the Chosen Children as much as he would've liked, considering that he was three years junior than the main portion and four years younger than Junpei, but he loved hanging out with them when he could.

Takuya's hand came down again to ruffle the hair beneath his large orange hat, and Tomoki pouted.  He didn't like to be treated like the kid, though the action brought fuzzy feelings to his stomach.

"I'll outgrow you some day!" Tomoki declared, bursting into half-giggles afterward.

"Not in a million years," replied Takuya, sticking out his tongue.  The action made Tomoki break into more giggles.

"What's so funny?"

Both boys turned to see Izumi running up to them, one hand on her hat in order to keep it from flying off.  She hadn't changed much since they last saw each other, but Tomoki knew that was more because she lived the closest to him of all the Chosen Children, and they had the ability to hang out when convenient.  There was also the fact that they, along with Kouichi, shared the same self-defense classes and, thus, managed to see each other somewhat more often.

Takuya and Kouji took swordsmanship classes, meaning that Tomoki didn't get to see them as often as he would have liked.  Junpei was in solitary training in order to lose the weight from his eating disorder, which stemmed from his loneliness and isolation, though he promised that he would eventually take the same style as they did.

It also didn't help that they all attended different primary schools, with Junpei in junior high.

"Tomoki thinks that he'll be taller than me," Takuya laughed playfully, showing that the statement should be taken as an insult to the younger boy.

"I don't know, Takuya," Izumi responded with a smile of her own, "maybe he will.  You never know!" She pinched his cheek, and Tomoki pouted yet again, though he knew that she didn't mean anything by it.  He still had the cute kid looks after all and could charm many things out of people with the honed puppy dog eyes. "He'll be hot, though, when he grows."

"He's going to make many people very jealous," commented a third boy as he walked up.

"Kouichi!" Tomoki grinned and leapt, hanging off of the black-haired teen's neck with ease.  Kouichi laughed and swung the boy around, a smile on his face. "Where's Kouji?"

"Right behind him," another voice replied, slightly dry.  Kouji walked up, his habitual ponytail swaying behind him.  Even though he retained the lone wolf persona that he was known for, he offered a slightly warm smile for the younger boy and ruffled his hair. "Hey."

Tomoki slid off of Kouichi's neck and followed Kouji, noticing that he had placed himself close to Kouichi but near to Takuya at the same time.  Before he had more time to dwell on his placement, the last member of their small group arrived, drawing the attention of all.

"Junpei!" Takuya grinned, slapping the older boy on the back. "We haven't seen you in a while!"

"You've changed a lot for a year," commented Kouji, and Tomoki read a flavor, for a lack of a better word, in his voice that noted that he was impressed.

"I just needed to remember our adventure," replied Junpei with a grin.  He had slimmed down a lot, though he still had a ways to go.  Even so, it was a reminder that the Digital World adventure had been more than just pain and loss but one that had helped them all become better people in the end.

"So, how long are we here?" questioned Tomoki as he fiddled with his watch. "I have to be home by eight."

"That's long enough.  I have Shinya's birthday party to go back to anyway.  As long as we're here between six and six-ten, it's fine," Takuya answered.

"When it all began..." Kouji started, leading into Kouichi's statement.

"...and when it all ended."

"C'mon!" Izumi shouted, drawing the attention of their group and more than a few bystanders. "Let's party!"

"Yeah!" came the chorus and more than a few pumped fists.

Six o'clock found them gathered around a table, sparkling cider in their glasses.

"To a time when we all happened to cross paths..." Takuya raised his glass.

"...and to the place where everything started!" the rest shouted in unison, clinking their glasses.

**OoOoO**

"So, Tomoki, how're things going?" Kouichi grinned as Tomoki bounced onto his couch.  The younger boy smiled as he landed, staring up with half-lidded eyes at his best friend.

"Nothing much," he spoke.  Then his eyes slid to the side, which made Kouichi sit up straighter and take notice, his smile beginning to drain off his face.

"What happened?" the almost-teen demanded.

Tomoki looked guiltily down at the ground. "I don't like fighting.  Some bullies started trying to pick on me again and..."

"They resorted to violence," Kouichi breathed, instantly getting the point which Tomoki was aiming for.

"I tried not to fight them, I really did," the Chosen of Ice looked down at his hands, "but they wouldn't stop.  And then...  I just hit them.  Everything I learned from being Chackmon and Blizzarmon and Susanoomon just came out and..." Tomoki's voice dropped to a whisper at this point. "Katsuharu and Teppei came just in time to stop me from... from..."

Kouichi reacted quickly, bringing Tomoki's face up to his. "Don't you feel that way, Tomoki." The younger boy's eyes lifted, shining with unshed tears. "Don't you _dare_ feel that way, Tomoki.  It wasn't your fault.  It was our experiences from the Digital World."

"But..." Tomoki tried to protest, but Kouichi vehemently cut him off.

He would not let Tomoki drown himself in guilt, much like he had done not long after he had been saved from Cherubimon's grasp.

"They provoked you.  They hurt you.  They pushed you.  It's only natural for you to feel that way, after everything we've been through.  All you have to do is control it and that's what our classes are for." Kouichi sighed as he grasped the smaller Tomoki to his chest. "You tried peace and it didn't work.  From what we know, that means reacting in self-defense."

"I know, but..." Tomoki was silenced by Kouichi's finger.

"Don't say anything." The soft whisper was what broke the dam.  The tears started flowing out of Tomoki's eyes rapidly as he desperately clutched at Kouichi's shirt, crying with all his might.  Kouichi held on as Tomoki's tears flowed and flowed, added onto by harsh sobs.

It hurt Kouichi to see Tomoki like this.

When the sobs ceased and Tomoki was reduced to sniffling in his shirt, Kouichi carefully stood, bringing out a first aid kit.  Ordering Tomoki to take his shirt off, Kouichi began dressing the younger boy's wounds.  It wasn't too bad, a couple cuts and a few bruises, but something that would have be taken note of.  Once that was finished, Tomoki lay sprawled against Kouichi's chest, wrapped in his careful embrace.

Tomoki felt a small blush spring up on his face.  The warmth and peace and sense of protection that enveloped him were things which he hadn't felt in a long time.  Everything that was Kouichi surrounded him in its embrace.  It stirred feelings in the pit of his stomach, a warmth all its own.

As Tomoki's thoughts drifted to sleep, he wondered if he could always stay like this.

**OoOoO**

"Junpei," Izumi called as she sat atop a desk.

The boy looked up from his scribbling in his notebook, his pencil dropping to the side of the book. "Yeah?"

"I don't know what's wrong with this picture," she answered absently, picking up her sketchbook and showing it to him.  The Chosen of Thunder looked up, and a blush immediately came to his face as he realized what (or rather who) the subject of it was.

"Um, well..." Junpei's eyes shifted over to the mirror next to him, carefully taking note of his face and its reflection on the pad before turning back to Izumi. "It's the eyes.  They're a bit too big for a realistic style.  Try to shrink them a bit with some shading."

Izumi "hn"ed, nodding her head slightly. "That's good." She returned to her sketching, the fingers curled around her pencil speeding quickly across her paper but with a control which only came with being the Chosen of Wind.  Junpei returned to his own work, carefully sounding out the words in his head as he wrote, pausing occasionally to scribble out whole lines of kanji and hiragana as he went.

Interested in his work, Izumi peeked over at what he was writing.  Her eyes quickly scanned the page, eyes widening a fraction.  She then jabbed a finger down onto the page.

"You should use 'radiant' here."

Junpei's head shot up in surprise, as he stared at her with momentarily unseeing eyes.  Izumi bit back a slight giggle; the older teen had always had his head in the clouds, but his ability to fall so deeply into the realm of his creation always managed to bring a sense of amusement and awe to her.  Junpei looked down at his paper, and Izumi could _see_ the words running through his mind at the speed of lightning.

She winced mentally at her own pun.

"That works so much better," he breathed out in response.  From the rapid scribbling which ensued, it seemed that he found his muse again.

And so the two artists continued to work their works in a symphony of creation that said all of their own inner light and peace with each other.

**OoOoO**

Thirteen-year-old Tomoki found himself desperately searching through a cookbook two days before White Day.  There was something he absolutely had to do, something he needed to do, otherwise he wouldn't forgive himself.

"What are you up to, Tomoki?" Izumi's blonde head popped into the kitchen, and she looked at his frantic face questioningly.  His parents—having seen how close the two of them were and how maturely Izumi held herself—had taken to asking her to watch over him when Yutaka couldn't be bothered.  She had happily taken up the job, knowing it let her spend time with the younger boy, who was often unable to meet up with them due to age differences.  The deeper friendship struck by this arrangement held even when he was deemed old enough to stay at home by himself, and she was often found in their home to hang out with him.

He guiltily looked at her for a moment before mumbling something under his breath.

Izumi's ears twitched, though she could not make out what he had said.  Her curiosity now piqued, she approached the younger teen until she was right next to him. "What did you say?"

When he looked up, meeting the gaze of the teen he was now at the same height as, there was a clear blush on his face, so dark that Izumi thought he looked like a boiled octopus. "I'm making chocolate for White Day," he whimpered, knowing that he couldn't lie to Izumi, but also knowing that there were dire consequences to such an admittance.

He plugged his ears at the loud squeal Izumi sounded, and he gave a strangled gasp as Izumi hugged him with all her might. "Oh, you're growing up, Tomoki, if you're making chocolate for that special girl!  Does Takuya know you're giving homemade chocolate?  Does Junpei?  Does _Kouichi—_?  C'mon, who is she?  You never told any of us!"

Tomoki thought he could get away if he stayed quiet enough, but he also felt like he needed to breathe, so he gasped out his answer as quietly as he could.

Izumi instantly froze at the name, her steel grip on him failing.  As he rubbed his arms and returned to paging through his book, she quietly asked him, "Are you sure?"

He definitively nodded, though he continued to avert his gaze.

She silently closed his book and forced Tomoki to look up into her eyes. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, all right?  I'm— _we're_ —behind you the entire time."

"Yeah." Tomoki gave a watery smile.

"I'll bring over my book tomorrow.  We'll make the best chocolates!" Suddenly, Izumi paused before sending Tomoki a glare. "You _did_ get me chocolates, right?"

It was here that Tomoki grinned brightly and bounced over to the refrigerator.  He pulled out a box of frozen, store-bought chocolates—exactly as Izumi liked them—and smiled.

She smiled back.

**OoOoO**

Junpei's lips twitched at the sight with which he came face to face.  He couldn't help it—it was way too amusing not to laugh.

A fine coat of sugar covered the expanse of the counter, along with several unidentifiable ingredients.  Caramel stained Izumi's fine locks, and chocolate and brown sugar streaked Tomoki's cheerful face.  Their bodies were stained with the efforts of their chocolate-making, and it was an altogether amusing sight to come into.

"Join the fun, Junpei!" Tomoki exuberantly waved his chocolate-smeared spatula into the air, sending flecks of the creamy substance flying.  Izumi, now panicked, wrested away control of the cooking implement ( _"When did Tomoki get strong enough to give Izumi a fight?"_ Junpei idly wondered and then amended, _"When he grew as tall as her."_ ) from the boy before he could do more damage to the kitchen.

"God, Tomoki, I thought you were competent in the kitchen!" she gasped, exhausted.  Was that... butter in her hair?  Junpei winced; Izumi wasn't going to like that at all.

"Oh, I totally am," Tomoki said loftily. "I just like messing with you," he finished with a laugh. "Don't worry; I'll help clean up."

"I'd've forced you even if you hadn't offered," Izumi muttered darkly.

"Do you need any chocolate?" grinned Tomoki, averting his attention to Junpei with a mischievous gaze.

Junpei held his hands up, shaking his head. "Nope, mine are perfectly fine." He waggled his eyebrows at the pair. "Just you wait!"

Both of them smiled at him, though Izumi's was by far more harried *and* grateful.

Even if he admitted it only to himself, however, Junpei was glad that Tomoki was so happy.  There were precious few times the younger boy could simply act his age, and he wouldn't bereft him of such an experience.

But he did have a job to do.

"All right then!  While the chocolate bakes, we have something else to do."

"Oh?" Tomoki asked, his voice eager.

"Oh?" questioned Izumi as well, though her voice was much less enthusiastic and much more dubious.

"My Super Humongous Chocolate and Strawberry Deluxe Cake!" he grinned and held up the bags of ingredients all ready to go.  Tomoki and Izumi clapped appropriately.

As Kouichi, Kouji, and Takuya often hung out with each other, though Kouichi joined them when he could, the three felt no guilt in having a blast mixing ingredients and making as much of a mess as they did before—together.  They were all happy, baking—and they wouldn't have it any other way.

**OoOoO**

"Junpei!" Izumi grinned and hugged the Chosen of Thunder.  She'd taken a chance by discreetly offering him some homemade chocolate at Valentine's Day, and it had paid off with some of Junpei's own (admittedly better—Junpei was a *very* good baker) homemade chocolate on this day.  Popping one into her mouth, she nearly moaned at the excruciating exquisite contrast of bitter cocoa and sweet sugar.

"I take it that you like it?" Junpei asked blandly as he watched Izumi eat another chocolate.

"Mhm," responded Izumi distractedly, too focused on the flavors in her mouth.  Though she was a decent cook herself, Junpei by and far surpassed her—and with the amount she pack away without care, any boyfriend of hers had damn well better have good culinary skills. "Thanks," she murmured softly before giving him a peck on the cheeks.

Junpei's face first flushed in both joy and embarrassment and then it froze in a strange sort of consternation.  His fingers slowly came up to press against the kissed flesh, and his lips twisted in a bit of revulsion.

"You left chocolate on my cheek," he said flatly.

Izumi froze, a slight giggle on her lips. "Um, oops?" Before she could drum up some response, Junpei stiffened and his gaze quickly swept over the area.  Feeling herself tense, she asked, "Is there a problem?"

"I don't think so," Junpei said after a moment, his body relaxing.  Then he smiled, mischief twitching at the corner of his lips. "Maybe we should look around the corner."

Izumi was already there before he could move.  Her eyes widened, and Junpei had to lunge forward and clasp his hand around her mouth to prevent the oncoming squeal.

Because he didn't want to ruin the show.

"Yes, Tomoki?" Kouichi had an easy smile on his face, something which came often in Tomoki's presence.

"Um," the teen boy mumbled something as red curled up his neck to his cheeks.  Even though Tomoki was Kouichi's height, the hesitant way he held himself and his slightly bowed frame made him look smaller than he was.  It took him a few moments to muster up his courage, but Kouichi stood there, patient and understanding, and Junpei felt an imminent smile come onto his face.

"Here!" Head bowed, Tomoki thrust out the box of homemade chocolates to Kouichi, who stared at them in surprise and...  Was that a hint of knowing in his eyes?

Taking them, Kouichi's smile morphed into a grin as he dragged Tomoki in closer.  As soon as the teen was in his arms, Kouichi placed a light kiss on his cheek, which merely caused him to flush brighter.

"Thanks, Tomoki," whispered Kouichi, before he smiled again. "Looks like I wasn't unique, eh?"

Tomoki's head snapped up, just as another box of chocolate was placed in his hands.  There seemed to be no words the younger teen could say, so Tomoki stood there, jaw dropped, as Kouichi amusingly dragged him away.

Izumi and Junpei merely stared at each other for a beat.

Then they burst out laughing.

**OoOoO**

Their next anniversary was mixed with teasing about how everyone had paired off, especially from Takuya at how the four of them had gotten together on White Day.

The day was filled with laughter and joy, with subtle whispers between friends and lovers.  They danced and played and gamed and did whatever they could to celebrate the fact that they were still alive, still alive to do all of these things and _love_.

Izumi and Junpei tossed the Frisbee at each other until they managed to draw Takuya and Tomoki into the game.  Soon the air was whizzing with skilled and powerful throws, and they all played to outdo each other in terms of pure flashiness.

Soon Takuya dragged his somewhat unwilling boyfriend into the game, and Tomoki plopped down next to Kouichi, who was watching everything with an amused and affectionate look on his face.

Which quickly turned into a slightly pained grimace as he began to rub his chest.

Tomoki turned to his boyfriend in concern. "Is something wrong, Kouichi?"

For a moment, Kouichi's brow furrowed, but then he smiled and said, "I'm fine." Eyes brightening, he leapt up and grabbed the Frisbee out of mid-air.  Tossing a smile at Tomoki, he asked, "Let's get in!"

Tomoki paused for a moment, staring at Kouichi, before smiling as well. "All right, let's go!"

The two entered the game, but the fact that Kouichi wasn't moving as fast as usual, his reflexes a split second slower, was not lost on Tomoki.

**OoOoO**

"Can you feel the energy?"

A few weeks after their anniversary, Izumi had gotten a strange feeling.  She was drawn toward Shibuya Station, the place where they had originally been transported to the Digital World.  Though she resisted the call, she could not help the fact that her feet moved toward the station where everything began.

Tomoki and Kouichi met her there, flanked by Junpei.

"I can feel it," whispered Junpei quietly in response to her question. "I can feel it race through me...  It's just like Spirit Evolving, isn't it?"

"Human form at least," murmured Tomoki wryly.

"What's the difference?" questioned Kouichi, his tone both hesitant and wondering.

"Oh, you never directly evolved into KaiserLeomon, did you?" Izumi turned and looked him straight in the eye. "Having the raw power of the Beast Spirit rip through you...  It's something that you just can't get used to."

"The Human Spirit is tame in comparison," Junpei agreed. "Every one of us screamed when the power hit us."

"But it doesn't matter," Tomoki cut in quickly. "What matters is that the Digital World's here again."

"It was always here, Tomoki." The group turned to Takuya, who stood off to the side with Kouji. "It's always been here," he repeated in a dazed sort of tone, a euphoric lilt in his voice which could not be hidden.

"Yes, it has," Kouji murmured, the same tone in his voice, though he was better at masking it. "It's just been... in remission."

"But it's fine now." Takuya's eyes snapped open sharply. "It's fine now, and it's connected." He then turned and smiled almost wistfully, an airy expression on his face. "Let's go guys."

"Yes," murmured all of them in unison, reverence in their tone. "Let's go."

As one, they stepped into the elevator which took most of them to the Digital World in the first place.  Almost as if by design, the door shut with a sense of finality behind them, and all six were forced to close their eyes as the elevator fell and fell and fell...  G-force overcame them until power thrummed through their veins and their bodies sang with a bit of themselves which had never managed to go back to being completely human, even for Kouichi.

When they hit the ground, Trailmon Worm greeted them.

"Hello, children.  I've been waiting for you."

The six Chosen Children glanced at each other before Takuya stepped forward and replied.

"And we've been waiting for you."

**OoOoO**

The hand in sixteen-year-old Tomoki's grip was shaking slightly, and the wavering smile did not ease the pain which emanated from his heart.  Sorrow shined in his eyes, and it was too painful for him to bear.

"I'm fine," Kouichi murmured quietly.  The rough coughs which wracked his frame said otherwise, but Tomoki didn't comment.  He only pressed his forehead to Kouichi's hand and said a soft prayer to the gods—both human and digital.

Kouichi had been "fine" for the last two years.

"I swear I'll be up and running in another week or so," Kouichi promised with a small grin. "All I have to do is get rid of this bug."

Tomoki prayed that it would be true, but he knew that it would not.  Kouichi had worsened too much...  He'd been bedridden for the last couple of weeks.  And before that, he'd slowly gotten weaker, sicker. "Please don't lie to me," he quietly whispered. "I don't—I don't want you to lie to me."

"I'm not lying," Kouichi immediately denied, but Tomoki only had to look at his pale pallor and trembling hand and merely shake his head.

"I can't handle a lie." Tomoki brought Kouichi's hand to his cheek, feeling the cold flesh contrast his own warmth. "Lowemon misses you too."

"Tell him that I'm all right." It didn't need to be said that Kouichi hadn't been to see his digital half since he was sick; the presence of the Digital World hastened his disease, and Tomoki already suspected what the cause was.

"...I can't tell him a lie," he whispered quietly. "I'm not allowed to.  He'll know."

Kouichi merely nodded before coughs, harsh and wheezing, wracked his frame.  Tomoki held him tight, held him for as long as he could.  When Kouichi stopped, there was a sadness in his gaze which hadn't been present before.

"I guess I can't hold it off any longer." Kouichi weakly pressed his fingers against the side of Tomoki's face. "I guess I can't.  It's far too close."

Tomoki's eyes shined with pain, and he stifled his tears as he leaned over Kouichi's body to answer the silent plea.  Kouichi placed one delicate kiss on Tomoki's forehead, chaste, but with far more emotion than any other.  He returned the favor and then threaded his hand with Kouichi's and placed his head on the trembling chest.  His ear centered over the heartbeat, cyan eyes blinked away tears as Kouichi's lips mouthed silent words, words he no longer had the strength to speak.

Tomoki didn't move as the heartbeat slowed.

He didn't move as the hand in his fingers fell limp.

He didn't move as the heart beneath his ear stopped.

He only shed his tears as his heart disappeared with it.

**OoOoO**

Rage and sadness warred across Takuya's face, as a sullen Kouji followed him.

Izumi worried for them, but she was too focused hiding her own pain in order to deal with Tomoki she couldn't focus on them.  Junpei was a silent presence behind her, and, though he had his own sorrow, he supported her so that she could lull Tomoki to a sleep which even Yutaka could not manage.  With a soft voice, whispering like the wind, she sang the lullabies her mom had sung to her and, with her hands running through his hair, Tomoki's tear-streaked eyes finally shut.

The funeral was over, and only sadness remained.

She didn't stand; she let Tomoki's head rest in her lap as it had done all those years ago, and, though grief had aged the teen's face, it looked so young and defenseless that she felt all of those same protective feelings rush back.

Kouichi entrusted them with Tomoki, and she wouldn't let her deceased friend down.

"Is he asleep?" Junpei asked quietly.

"Finally," she whispered back. "He's...  He's had it rough.  Rougher than all of us."

"He's taking it the best," Junpei noted.

"Far better than Takuya and Kouji are," Izumi agreed, getting to the heart of the matter. "They're... angry."

"Not handling it well," Junpei commented quietly. "Not at all."

"...bad?" Izumi whispered after a beat.

He didn't respond, only staring out at the door through which Takuya had exited.

"Very bad," he agreed. "We need to do damage control."

As she stared down at the face beneath her fingers, Izumi wondered why those words pained her so much.

**OoOoO**

As they finished, Tomoki's eyes had turned back to the passing scenery around them.  The simply joy their previous trips had been was gone now.  A sense of wrongness permeated the air, and the Digital World seemed to echo with it.

As the train slowed to a stop at the Flame Terminal, Tomoki took a deep breath.  The Digital World was screwed up now, and what they were coming to face...

It wasn't going to be pretty at all.

But they had to do this, for everyone involved.

He saw the winds echoing Izumi's movements, the lightning which crackled across Junpei's frame, and tried not to think of the frost seeping across his fingers.

Because if it came down to that, he didn't know who'd lose more.


	3. When Control Aids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a reference, I made up Perfect forms for Bokomon and Neamon. Bokomon's Perfect form is Encyclomon, an angelic digimon who records the history of the Digital World. Chronosmon is Neamon's Perfect, a watcher of time who protects Encyclomon. Unfortunately, a Perfect is no match for KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon, especially at the level they are at now.

"It's the Chosen!"

"The Chosen!"

At the sight of the three of them, most digimon fled.

Tomoki knew it was for good reason.  The buildings around them were shattered; very few structures remained.  It was a hodgepodge of pure fury (Tomoki could see where KaiserGreymon's Ryuugonken sword had left slash marks on the walls) and calculated destruction (that many bullet holes could only be created with MagnaGarurumon's Machine Gun Destroy completely focused on one target).  It was obvious that Takuya and Kouji's rampage through the area had broken any trust the digimon had in the Warriors and the Chosen who represented them.

"Traitors!"

Or maybe just the Chosen themselves.

One figure walked out in front of them, tall, blue body covered by pieces of red armor painted with flames.  A long spike pointed unerringly into the air from a face mask which did nothing to hide the stony glare, and it was with his uninjured arm that he raised one clawed hand and pointed it at them.

"Traitors to the Legendary Warrior Ten, you will not pass."

"We are not with them," came Izumi's gusting voice.  She took a step forward, but the digimon's arm tightened, and she stopped at the silent threat.

"Not a step closer, human." The word was spat with a measure of disgust, and the glare upon them narrowed. "I do not believe you.  All of you, all six of you, are always together."

"For this, we aren't." Junpei's voice was quiet, though it held all of his intensity. "We stand against KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon."

"Silence your lies, for they fall on knowing ears." Flames gathered on the digimon's claws, and Tomoki felt himself tense in response. "By my name, Fladramon, and in the memory of those digimon you have killed, I will strike you down here!  Knuckle Fire!"

Tomoki's hand was already rising, fingers coated in ice.  He drew into a punch with his right hand and dispelled the first fireball.  Izumi delivered a high kick with a wind-encased leg to knock away another, and a lightning-infused swipe from Junpei took care of the last.

The remnants of the Spirits left them with powers at least at the Adult level.  Tomoki hoped it would be enough.

"Believe us, Fladramon!" he tried to shout. "We're trying to stop them before things get any worse!"

"Lies!" Another Knuckle Fire came at them, with more fireballs than the last.  Izumi and Junpei broke to either side of him, but Tomoki was a bit too slow and tripped on the ground.

Flames blossomed across Fladramon's body in response as he leapt into the air, shouting, "Fire Rocket!" As a meteor from the sky, he fell toward Tomoki, and Tomoki did the only thing he could do.

He turned and shielded the sleeping Neamon with his body, summoning all of his powers to freeze his back.

The moment Fladramon neared, it became a battle of wills, Fladramon's fire versus his icy aura.  Exhaustion took its toll on him, however, and his concentration broke for one moment as Neamon stirred in his arms and sleepily asked, "What's going on?"

Tomoki cried out in pain as Fladramon's attack, though diminished from its war with his aura, seared against his body, burning his flesh and sending him sprawled against the ground.  He was careful not to land on his stomach, though that meant that his back was torn up against the gravelly ground and only aggravated his burns.

"Tomoki!" shouted both Junpei and Izumi at once, and the two older Chosen launched elemental attacks to drive Fladramon away from their fallen comrade.  Seemingly emboldened by his success, however, Fladramon dodged the cutting wind and lightning bolt and moved with his fist outstretched.  Flames again curled around his body as he used Fire Rocket once more to launch himself forward.

"Stop!"

Fladramon briefly clashed with an invisible barrier before he bounced off and abruptly fell, sliding against the ground to bleed off his excess momentum.  He looked up and glared at the intruder.

"You would betray your own lord for these three?" Fladramon spat.

"It is not a betrayal," came the weary voice, crystal staff pointed forward. "Not if you know the whole story."

"Lord HolyAngemon would be disappointed in you," he murmured, "Sorcerymon."

"These Chosen are not the traitors," Sorcerymon said. "If they were, they'd be right alongside KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon on their rampage.  As they are, I believe them when they say they seek to aid us." He looked down, a sad expression on his face. "I trust Encyclomon."

Fladramon sucked in a harsh breath. "I thought Encyclomon fled...  We couldn't find Chronosmon, and we assumed that he managed to spirit him away or died trying."

Neamon chose this moment to crawl out and laugh bitterly. "I failed in my mission.  Encyclomon pushed me into a portal to the Human World after I was defeated, and I landed with the rest of the Children."

Fladramon's arm loosened, and weariness returned to his posture. "So, you've come to watch our downfall, humans?"

"We came to help." Izumi stood strong, flanked by Junpei's silent presence. "The Digital World is as much our home as any other."

"Where's the sixth?" Sorcerymon questioned quietly. "Kouichi should be here, unless he's on their—"

Tomoki laughed coldly through the pain. "Kouichi's dead.  Lucemon's scan damaged his soul to the point that his body barely lived, and he grew weaker with each passing day." He laboriously propped himself up, his face clenching at pulling his burned skin, though his ice powers immediately went to work to freeze the wounds. "Kouichi's gone and—"

"Maybe we can do this somewhere else," Junpei broke in. "This isn't the place to explain, and Tomoki's hurt."

Sorcerymon reached down and grabbed Tomoki; Junpei moved to aid him.  The magic-wielding digimon grimaced beneath his cloak when he saw the burns. "Even hurt, your flames still amaze me, Fladramon."

"You know that, even as an Adult, I've taken down Perfects with my flames." Fladramon nodded toward one of the few remaining buildings. "We have healers in there to deal with the wounded.  Take the boy there."

As they moved toward the make-shift hospital, the spectating digimon parting for them, Junpei leaned down to listen to Tomoki's whispers.

"Kouichi would have cried," he said quietly, "if he saw what Kouji and Takuya have done.  Why can't they understand that?"

Junpei didn't have an answer for him.

**OoOoO**

"What're they doing here?" The bustling room stopped save for the doctors themselves as the five entered.  FlaWizarmon, a fiery version of Sorcerymon with a matchstick wand, pointed a hand with blue flames at them. "They don't belong here!"

"Stand down, FlaWizarmon," ordered Sorcerymon. "They fight for us."

The fire sorcerer laughed bitterly. "Why trust them?  They destroyed our world; I'd sooner burn them to ashes than help the traitors to the Legendary Warrior Ten."

"Because we may be the only ones who can get through to them."

Silence followed Izumi's statement.  She stepped forward, pose strong and not betraying her own weariness. "I cannot lie; we are on the outs with them at the moment.  But, we can give them enough pause to get through to them."

"With a split between the two groups, you cannot possibly hope to give them pause," FlaWizarmon snorted haughtily. "You are but a hindrance.  Let us instead gather a force of Ultimates to hunt them down."

Junpei gave a surprisingly harsh bark of laughter. "You forget that a band of Ultimates did little to stop Dynasmon and LordKnightmon when they moved to attack Akiba Market, and KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon are **much** stronger now than they were when they defeated the wayward Royal Knights."

"Then what do you suggest?" sneered FlaWizarmon.

"Even while not in our physical possession, our memories and personalities imprinted within the Spirits give us some measure of control over them," Tomoki said quietly as he shifted, lips tightening as he agitated his wounds. "It will give us enough pause to talk, if nothing else."

"And what if it does not work?" Fladramon, less hostile now, looked at them, Tomoki in particular, with a measured gaze. "You, inheritor of AncientMegatheriumon's legacy, fell to my flames, despite the fact that even I cannot face an Ultimate.  What can you hope to do against them, should it come to blows?"

"We will do as we must." Izumi moved to stand in front of Fladramon, meeting his gaze with her own. "There will be no failure, as there can be none."

"Before this goes any further," Sorcerymon broke in, "can we get the boy treated?"

There was some murmuring before a majestic digimon floated forward.  Clothed in sacred robes, the yin-yang symbol prominent on them, silver fur glistened as the foxlike face of the digimon looked at them. "I can take care of him," she said delicately. "He should be relatively quick to treat, but I want to check on the state of his powers." Sharp eyes cut to Izumi and Junpei. "You two as well."

"Taomon," Sorcerymon acknowledged with the inclination of his head, "I thank you.  Where is your sister?"

"My sister is at the Forest Continent to see to the damages there." A small, sad smile crossed her face. "Her Data attribute means her magic is more suited to laying down the necessary protections, should KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon attack again.  My own is better suited for healing."

"I thank you," Sorcerymon repeated as he and Junpei carefully laid Tomoki down on a spare cot. "I'll help with some of the wounded," he continued and picked up his snowflake staff, gripping it intently.

"Your help is appreciated," Taomon nodded.  She then turned to the gawkers and, in a louder voice, began barking out orders. "There's nothing to see here!  FlaWizarmon!  Stop gaping and bring in the supplies Birdramon just brought in!  Fladramon, go get your arm looked over by Flaremon!" Efficiently as any decent taskmaster, she got the hospital moving again as digimon returned to caring for those wounded.  As the Perfect-leveled digimon continued to direct the workers, Izumi and Junpei sidled up to Tomoki.

"Fladramon's got a point," stated Junpei quietly, his eyes downcast. "Our powers are... Perfect level at best, and our reflexes aren't half of what they are as digimon.  A Machine Gun Destroy would ruin us."

"Especially after Kouji learned how to reload," Izumi added wryly.

Tomoki looked at the trailing sparkles of ice which echoed his moving hand.  He clenched his fingers and let the frost harden, coating his hand in a thick layer of ice. "We don't have a choice.  Takuya and Kouji were instrumental in saving the worlds once.  We have to do anything in our power to try to calm them down."

What wasn't said was what would be done should they not stop.  Tomoki flexed his fingers, letting the ice shatter and fall to the ground.

Stony silence followed his action.

No one spoke until Taomon returned with a chart in hand, though her actual hands could not be seen through the voluminous sleeves of her robe.  She nodded once and a few ofuda into the air, which they hung around the three of them. "Chosen of Ice, can you turn around?  I need to see your back."

Complying with the help of Junpei, Tomoki turned and raised his burned shirt.  Taomon's eyes narrowed before she placed two strips of parchment on the affected areas, ignoring Tomoki's hiss of pain.  She chanted under her breath as the ofuda on his back shined with silver light.  When she removed them, the burns on his back were healed.

"Thank you," Tomoki murmured.

"Thank me when this is over," she replied with a bitter smile.  Taking a moment to compose herself, Taomon then turned to the other Warriors. "I want to test yours powers.  Sorcerymon suggested that it would be wise to see that there are no side-effects to these remnants of the Spirits."

"Do what you must," Junpei asserted.

"I will." Taomon smiled without cheer.

                **OoOoO**

The winds had ceased echoing Izumi's movements, but that didn't stop the spike of power she felt every time she inhaled or exhaled.  She still felt a bit disconnected with her physical form.  Part of her mind rode with the winds, tracing out the eddies and currents of a world which was both foreign and home.  When she stopped focusing on the world around her, she could fly in the sky and dance in the air, be among the clouds which floated above the earth.  The air was her domain, more so than the water for which she also had a mild affinity.

Taomon had fallen into murmurs once her examination was completed, and Izumi had taken the time to request some food.  Though the portions were meager, she ate what she could to replenish her energy.  Junpei ate his own food quietly, but Tomoki initially refused to eat, as he had done the past week.

"I can't eat."

Rage, an emotion she knew was unbecoming of her as well as one she hadn't realized she had the strength to muster, flittered across her eyes and clenched her hands.  She nearly slammed the bowl down in front of him, fury in her eyes. "This isn't the time to starve yourself!  You're already thinner than you were before!"

"But I really can't eat."

Izumi was disgusted by the hint of the whine in his voice.  As the reality of what they needed to do began to set in, she found her tenuous grasp on her emotions breaking. "You will eat!  You're not the only one who lost someone important in Kouichi!"

"Izumi..."

"Quiet, Junpei!" She reached down and grabbed Tomoki's shoulders, bringing his face closer to hers. "Kouichi was your boyfriend, yes, but he was **our friend** as well.  We're all still hurting from his death." Seeing his face attempt to turn away, she grabbed his chin and turned it toward back to face her. "Remember your conviction!  Remember what you wanted to do for Takuya and Kouji!  If you want to have the strength to fight, then you have to eat!"

Heedless of the fact that her shouts had drawn an audience, Izumi continued to tremble as her eyes matched Tomoki's.  Tears brimmed to the fore in both pairs, and when Tomoki looked down to begin eating, Izumi stalked out of the building.  Surrounded by the air, she took a couple of deep breaths and let her anger bleed out around her.

As hard as she knew it was for Tomoki, she didn't think she could handle what depression he allowed her to see.  She had spent all of her time taking care of him, had tried to ease him out of his emotions, but she couldn't handle more.

The group had already fragmented; bearing that burden was already hard, but Tomoki's weaknesses where they needed—and expected—conviction added to her weight.

She only realized she was not alone when she felt strong arms wrap around her, and she leaned back and let a nose ruffle through her hair.

"Junpei."

His response was to hold her tighter to him, close enough that she could feel his heart beat strongly beneath his chest, a heart she had ignored for far too long. "You've been strong all this time," he whispered. "You helped Tomoki and tried to help Takuya and Kouji.  But for once, let me help you.  Let me hold you tight, so that you won't fall."

Closing her eyes, she felt the tears she had suppressed well up and burn.  She began to tremble, and everything she had pushed away in order to help the others crashed into her at once and it was all she could do to hold it back.

"You can let it out now."

Hearing those words whispered in her ear...  She twisted around in his arms and gave a gasp crossed with a hiccup and began to cry.  All of her sadness, her rage, and her fear flooded out of her.  She wailed, her shoulders trembling from the force of her sobs and her voice growing hoarse from her screams.  And all the while, Junpei held her tightly, never once losing her grip.

As her tears slowed, Junpei murmured something.

"You know that we're floating several meters off of the ground, right?"

"Just shut up and hold me."

                **OoOoO**

Once his food was finished, Tomoki looked down and took a deep breath.  While the outward manifestations of his powers had stopped, he could still feel the chill rattling his lungs every time he inhaled.  Each breath was cold, but instead of pain he felt comforted by the feeling.  It worked well with the darkness Kouichi bequeathed to him, as well as his own natural affinity for the Steel element.

He had never been one for the direct attacks anyway.

But he called on every little bit of darkness Kouichi had infused within him using that last kiss and wrapped it around him.  It tingled across his skin, reminding him of how Kouichi's body was a mite cooler than everyone else's, though not his own.  He took in a deep breath, and then tears tried to come to his eyes though he rejected them, because the darkness had a familiar presence.

Kouichi's warmth was even in the coldest darkness, and, as surrounded as he was in its presence, it reminded him so much of his dead lover.

"Are you all right, Tomoki?"

Neamon sat next to him and touched one soft hand to Tomoki's.  He looked down at the small digimon and nodded once.

"Yes, I am.  Thanks for asking." He was going to go back to embracing what remained of Kouichi, but he then remembered something, something vital.

Izumi's words flashed through his mind.

_"You aren't the only one who lost someone important..."_

"How are you doing?" he asked quietly, "with Encyclomon's..."

"I failed," Neamon said simply. "I failed and I don't even have the energy to return to being Chronosmon.  As a Child, I am simply deadweight." There was weariness in his hand as it clenched and unclenched. "I don't know what to do anymore without my brother."

Neamon looked up and stared directly into Tomoki's eyes.

"Did you know that we hatched at the exact same moment?"

Tomoki paused in his exercise of his darkness powers, knowing that what Neamon was about to say was important.

"I didn't," he said softly.

"Encyclomon and I hatched at the same time," he recalled, distance in his eyes. "We were raised together under a Yukidarumon.  We spent most of our years together, playing, up until we evolved into our Child forms and Bokomon discovered the Book of Knowledge.  Then we found ourselves at the Flame Terminal and lived there until we met you all." Neamon shook his head. "Yukidarumon was...  She's a digitama now.  Encyclomon was all I had left."

Bitter bile rose in the back of Tomoki's throat.  How could Takuya and Kouji have done this?  How could they have harmed one of their closest friends?  Encyclomon, when he wasn't affecting the omniscient persona many attributed to his status, had been hilariously funny as well as one of the few digimon they'd shared their adventures with.  Encyclomon had recorded their stories—had given them eternal life through legend.  And Encyclomon had been with them from day one.

He wondered if Encyclomon, when he was reborn, would even remember them.

If he'd remember Chronos—Neamon, his partner throughout his previous life.  The thought sobered him, flecks of frost appearing over his hand.  Even if Encyclomon was an angel digimon...  There was no justification for killing their friend.

But Tomoki remembered his promise, to himself and to them.  No matter what his own feelings on the matter were, he had to try to save Takuya and Kouji.  Failing that though...  Ice seeped into his heart.

At the moment, he merely held Neamon in silence.

**OoOoO**

Izumi and Junpei spent their time helping with the reconstruction, using the increase in strength their powers afforded to them to lift and move things others were too injured to do.  Using their control over wind and lightning, both managed to fly through the air with enough precision to not disturb some of the crumbling buildings, rescuing trapped Digimon and personal effects.

They simultaneously got acclimated to their powers, testing them out and learning their strengths and limits.

When they were resting for the day, with Tomoki aiding the medical staff using his control over ice and darkness to numb wounds and ease pain, Izumi stared down at her glass of water and sighed.

"We're not going to be strong enough, are we?"

Junpei didn't look at her as he replied. "No, we're not going to be."

"We can't be." Both looked up to see Tomoki walk towards them with tight eyes. "We can't be strong enough, not with who Takuya and Kouji are." And with the terrible knowledge in his eyes, with the conviction he was slowly relearning, Tomoki stared straight at them. "But we have to do it."

Izumi's hand latched onto his, the cool flesh in her grasp freezing her own eyes. "We will do it."

And then Junpei joined theirs. "Because we must."

"Have you your conviction then?" The three Chosen turned as Fladramon spoke, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. "Will you fight?"

"We will." Tomoki matched his gaze.

"Good.  Worm's here to take you to the Light Continent."

"Wouldn't that have been...?"

Fladramon averted his gaze. "Sorcerymon brought information that KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon are making a sweep back for all they missed.  Come now." Brusquely, Fladramon led them out of the makeshift hospital.  Though the digimon continued to be wary, no longer did they shy away from the three.  Neamon, Sorcerymon at his side, met them at the Trailmon Terminal.

Before Tomoki could even open his mouth, Neamon sternly stated, "No.  I'm coming, and that's final."

Tomoki looked into Neamon's eyes and found the same thing that was in his.

With a sharp nod, he motioned toward Worm.

As they boarded the train, Fladramon looked at them with an unreadable gaze.  He opened and closed his mouth several times before settling on one thing. "Good luck."

Tomoki tried to keep the bitterness out of his smile as he nodded in acknowledgement.  With a final hiss, the doors to the train closed, and Worm sped off into the distance.

Tomoki couldn't look Izumi or Junpei in the eye.

Good luck indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taomon (Data) is the same type as the one who's Ruki Makino's partner. The one here is Vaccine, and I guess I'm taking liberties with her powers, but she's more of a healer. There aren't many digimon healers, you know?


	4. When Control Meets Power Once More

Tomoki stared out the window, unwilling to speak.  Though Izumi rested her head on Junpei's shoulder to whisper a conversation, Tomoki had no desire to join in.  Kouichi's darkness soothed him, held him as he sat there.

Sorcerymon's cold hand, though not as cold as the Ice he'd inherited from AncientMegatheriumon, made him flinch. "How are you doing?"

Tomoki didn't look at him. "I'm fine."

"Lord Andiramon was sorry that things have come to this."

Tomoki turned sad eyes to the sorcerer who had been so close to his lieges. "So they've defeated the Three Great Angels?"

Ice blue flickered. "KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon left very few survivors."

"How did you escape?" asked Tomoki.

"I was running an errand," Sorcerymon admitted. "Lord HolyAngemon tasked me with overseeing some things at the Village of Beginnings.  Unfortunately, I was unable to return in time to help against KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon." Sorcerymon sighed as he grasped his snowflake staff weakly. "This is... the third time I was unable to protect my liege."

"Don't blame yourself." Tomoki said with what he hoped was a comforting hand on Sorcerymon's shoulder, though his voice remained distant. "If anything, it's our fault for not stopping things first."

"You did your best.  Takuya and Kouji are... strong-willed individuals.  If they wanted something that badly..."

"...they'd do anything to get it," finished Tomoki. "They'd never back down."

For a moment, all Tomoki could hear was the rush of wheels over rails.  He stared down at his hands and willed ice to them, just to see it.  Water condensed around his fingertips, gliding across the slim digits before hardening on his palm.  Cold, unyielding, unrelenting; not the soft, malleable snow he'd so loved to use as Chackmon.  No, this was the true ice, the ice found within the heart of a blizzard ghosting the tops of the tallest mountains.  It glistened in the sunlight, cooling all around it and dropping frozen mist to the ground.

This is what he needed.  What he needed to match the brightest of lights and hottest of flames.  Alongside the loudest of thunders and strongest of winds, nothing less would do.

He let go of the ice, and it evaporated without his concentration.  Sorcerymon seemed to smile sadly at him.

Tomoki felt more than heard Trailmon's deceleration as they pulled into the Light Terminal.  Standing, he noticed immediately how Izumi and Junpei came to flank him, and he wondered how he became the leader of their small group.  Letting Neamon and Sorcerymon lead the way, he looked back at Izumi and Junpei.  Junpei's eyes caught him first with their solid depths.  He read strength in that gaze, the strength that had backed them all throughout the years.  He looked back at Izumi and found the compassion which now bound them together.

With them at his side, Tomoki felt like they could do this.

And he needed every bit of that strength when he walked out of the carriage and into pure devastation.

As his eyes drank the sight of the Terminal, Tomoki's mind could do nothing but think, _"How are the tracks still working?"_

If he thought the Flame Continent was bad... this was worse.  There were so few Digimon left.  What had once been a bustling area was now lifeless, scared.  There was very little but rubble left of houses and homes.  Babies huddled into corners, perhaps with an Adult watching over them, but in giant groups of twenty or more.  Childs and Adults moved slowly, listlessly, not even bothering to clean up the rubble.  And, right before his eyes, a small, baby Puttimon drew its last breath and vanished into data, leaving a digitama behind.

Bile rose in his throat so swift, but Tomoki forced it back down and watched with unflinching eyes.  He heard Izumi shudder and gasp, and when he turned, it was to the sight of her puking into the bushes a second later.  Junpei was at her side in a flash, holding her steady as she continued to retch even after her stomach hit empty.

Junpei spun her so that her head rested on his shoulder, whispering into her ear the entire time.

"I'm sorry," Izumi told them once she regained some semblance of herself.

Tomoki nodded at her, eyes glassy and distant.

"You shouldn't have had to see that," Sorcerymon stood at their back, Neamon frowning as well.

"More reason for us to fight," Tomoki admitted as Junpei helped Izumi to her feet.  He turned to Sorcerymon. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Unfortunately, no.  We must head for another town that KaiserGreymon and MagnaGarurumon are projected to sweep through soon.  We don't have time to stop here."

Tomoki took one more look around before nodding. "Let's go."

**OoOoO**

The air was warm as they hiked through the forest.  The sun beat down on them even through the thick canopy, and Tomoki wiped the sweat from his forehead as he climbed over a thick root.  If it weren't for their current circumstances, Tomoki would have enjoyed the exercise—he never quite lost the sense of adventure that the Digital World brought him.

"How much farther is it to the next town?" Junpei asked.

"We should reach it within the hour," Sorcerymon replied.  Tomoki envied his unruffled demeanor.

"I meant to ask this before," Izumi said slowly, "but have any of the other attendants survived?"

Sorcerymon was quiet for a long time.  Tomoki could tell Izumi was about to retract the question when Sorcerymon stoically said, "Goatmon was killed in the initial strike, trying to defend Lord Andiramon."

It was another sucker punch.  Goatmon had given his life to lead them to Ofanimon years ago during their first adventure.  To hear that he was now dead once more...

Tomoki bit his lip and hardened his heart.  Unwittingly, ice appeared across his fingers, just as sparks did from Junpei's.

"I'm sorry," Izumi said and pressed no further.

"It is not your fault," said Sorcerymon. "As I said earlier, it is Takuya and Kouji who have done this."

It would always be their fault for not stopping them, was what Tomoki wanted to say then and now.  As he looked at Junpei, who steadily looked forward, and Izumi, who met his gaze evenly, Tomoki knew the deaths that the two of them caused would weigh on them for a long time.

He remained silent out of respect.

Silent until he heard explosions in the distance.  Sorcerymon was immediately alarmed. "That's in the direction—"

"Go!" Tomoki shouted at Junpei and Izumi.  His own ice powers did not give him any sort of flight, and Junpei and Izumi could get there far faster.  They didn't hesitate; the pair was in the air and blasting off within moments.

Tomoki didn't look back as he ran forward as fast as his legs could take him.  Every second that he spent running was a second that KaiserGreymon could be burning an innocent digimon, or MagnaGarurumon using one of his many guns to annihilate someone.  Every second he wasn't there was a second wasted.

Tomoki considered himself in shape, but he hadn't realized how much he lost to sadness and grief when his lungs were burning with no village in sight.  He internally growled but forced himself to pick up the pace, because he needed to be there.

He absolutely needed to be there.

The sight of the village with smoke already in the air should not have filled him with such relief, but he didn't dwell on it.  Ice already pooled in his palm as he heard shouts, and he thrust it out.  A frozen wall rose between Junpei and MagnaGarurumon; though it was pulverized mere moments later, those precious moments were enough for the former to escape the latter's hail of bullets.  With his other hand, he twisted his wrist and fired icicles which slid across KaiserGreymon's sword and deflected it just enough for Izumi to push the rest of the slice away with a burst of wind.

Both of them retreated to his side, Junpei's hands crackling with lightning and Izumi's body wreathed in winds.

"Tomoki," KaiserGreymon whispered and lowered his blade.

MagnaGarurumon was silent, but he too lowered his gun.  Tomoki remained on guard though, with beads of ice twinkling at the ends of his fingers.

"Are you here to stop us as well?" KaiserGreymon asked.

Tomoki's face remained blank as he said, "I'm here to talk."

"What is there left to talk about?" demanded KaiserGreymon. "As long as even a speck of angel or demon remains in this world, this can happen again!"

"This?" Tomoki laughed, long and harsh. "This?  What do you think _this_ is?"

"Demons corrupt the darkness and wreak havoc," MagnaGarurumon growled. "If we remove the demons from the picture, then all it takes is for an angel to fall like Lucemon, and the cycle starts anew."

"So you want to wipe all trace of either?" Junpei shouted. "Before any have even done anything to deserve it?"

"It's all in the name of preventing the need for Chosen!" KaiserGreymon spat. "So no more children have to go through the pain we have!  So the Legendary Warriors themselves have no need!"

"No matter how many innocents are caught up in your slaughter?" Izumi's voice blew across the broken remains of the village.

"Acceptable loss," KaiserGreymon sneered. "For prevention of chaos, we will let it all return to zero."

That was _enough_.  Tomoki couldn't listen to this anymore, couldn't listen to how the boy he had called " _nii-chan_ " fall this low.  This bullshit had to end.

" _Chackmon!_ " Tomoki snapped. "Hear me!  Cover him in hoarfrost!"

KaiserGreymon instantly froze.  Shining on his chest, the symbol for ice could be seen, seeping frost into the crevices his armor.

"Fairymon!  Bind him in your winds!"

"Blitzmon!  Paralyze him completely!"

What had once been their boon now became their shackles.  Thunder and lightning wracked MagnaGarurumon's frame, as wind bound KaiserGreymon's limbs.

Tomoki didn't waste this moment.  Frost curling across his frame, he covered the distance between him and KaiserGreymon with a burst of speed.  He slammed his fist into his armored gut with ice several centimeters thick, causing him to stagger.  His follow-up was blocked by KaiserGreymon, who, though he was obviously having difficulty moving between the ice and wind binding him, continued to defend.

"How can you betray us like this, Tomoki?" KaiserGreymon's sword swept a slow but powerful arc, but Tomoki ducked beneath it and sent a wave of frost at his feet.  KaiserGreymon retained his footing, but the attack gave him enough pause that Tomoki could land a couple of punches at his torso.

"Me betray you?" Tomoki snorted, swinging out of the way of KaiserGreymon's reprisal. "You are betraying us!  How could you?  How could you kill all those innocent Digimon?"

"I, I—" KaiserGreymon seemed to hesitate, and Tomoki took the opportunity to land an icy backhand that caused KaiserGreymon's head to snap back.  He pressed his advantage by swinging in close and pummeling him, trying for enough force to pierce through KaiserGreymon's armor.  Concentrating all of strength into his feet, he planted a kick that sent KaiserGreymon flying several meters.

"I don't want to see another Kouichi," KaiserGreymon spat, getting to his feet.

"So all of this slaughter is to prevent another Kouichi?" Tomoki demanded. "This world that he gave his life for, you're willing to ruin?"

It was disgusting.  Could this truly be Takuya?  Could this truly be the man he called _onii-chan_?  Was this what came of the boy who had fought so hard for this land?  Tomoki wanted to shake him as hard as he could.  He wanted to know where Takuya went, the Takuya he'd looked up to, the Takuya he'd entrusted his very life to.

Tomoki resorted to sucker-punching him in the face and then raining blows on his unprotected torso as he was stunned.

He was forced to draw back when KaiserGreymon's sword _flared_ and lanced fire up its edges.  Tomoki hissed and immediately covered his arm in ice; though the actual flames missed him, he didn't quite dodge the heat.

"It is," KaiserGreymon said quietly. "To prevent the need for Chosen, I will return this world to zero and bring peace.  Don't you remember Kouichi?  Don't you remember how he looked at the end?"

Tomoki was alarmed to find that the frost coating KaiserGreymon's armor was beginning to fade into steam.  Desperately, he called on the core of ice within him and launched a hail of icicles, but they didn't even come near his foe.  The air around them shimmered and warped with the heat KaiserGreymon radiated, and his attack melted in the air.

"I will not let anyone suffer like Kouichi did.  I will not let anyone simply waste away.  I will end this cycle, Tomoki, and end it for good."

KaiserGreymon stabbed his sword into the ground and said simply, "Kuzuryuujin."

Tomoki cursed.

Though without the concentrated strength of Enryuugeki, Kuzuryuujin was still dangerous technique.  The ground split under KaiserGreymon's strike, and Tomoki only had moments to project as strong and as cold of a shield as he could get.  He called on every bit of AncientMegatheriumon's legacy to make the shield last.

He poured everything he had into this, all of his emotion, all of his conviction.

From the split ground, eight dragon heads of flame rose.  KaiserGreymon himself rode on the ninth that appeared beneath him, directing the dragons forward.  Tomoki knew the strength of those dragons.  He knew their might.

He had to show his own as well.

Tomoki shuddered as the attack met him head on.  As expected, he could barely hold himself against the onslaught.  Everything burned around him, burned the ash.  Ash, falling to the ground to disappear.  His shield cracked, but he ruthlessly patched it.

More and more, his shield began to waver, as flames ate away at him and the sheer force caused the weakened spots to crack.  But Tomoki filled the cracks again and again with even greater amounts of ice drawn from his deepest convictions.

He had to show Takuya that he wouldn't fall.  He had to fight.  He needed to fight.  He couldn't let Izumi and Junpei down.

But then...

KaiserGreymon's words brought up memories, memories he'd tried to lock away.  Tomoki tried to focus so hard on the present, because if he didn't...

The image of Kouichi, having lost so much weight from his already slim body, flashed in his mind.

The way he coughed up blood.  The way he could barely muster a smile some days.  The way he'd silently broken down when he could barely make it across his room.

The utter despair when he couldn't even leave his bed.

His concentration wavered for just a moment, and that was it.  Tomoki screamed as his shield shattered and the flames enveloped him.

He tried to be strong.  He tried to show a brave face for everyone else.

He tried to be brave for Kouichi.

But in the end...  In the end, he was still just fifteen.  He was still just a boy trying to shoulder the weight of the world when he could barely hold himself up.  He was so tired of everything.

So he let the flames wash over him, wondering if this was how he was going to meet Kouichi again.

Before he passed out, however, he thought he saw a flash of blinding light followed by the shout of, "Crystal Cloud!" but he couldn't trust himself.

Tomoki was done.

**OoOoO**

Junpei hated this.  He hated it so much.  As he let loose a burst of magnetic field, strong enough to deflect MagnaGarurumon's bullets, he couldn't help but think that he was just a simple guy.

He helped save the world when he was a kid.  Two worlds, in fact.  He was lauded as a hero, even if it had been with the help of consciousness so ancient that it could have lived his life many times over.  He had _changed_ a millennia-old being, just as it had changed him.  AncientBeatmon, also known as Blitzmon, was as much a part of him as he was to it.

He had a wonderful girlfriend who ate and complemented his cooking.  He had family who loved him.  He had friends who he once shared a body with, who he could call the family of his heart when before he had none.

Though he was just nineteen, Junpei found that he was content with his life.  He was in control of himself by sheer fact that he knew what he wanted.

But he still felt hate.

He hated the fact that his family had betrayed him.  He hated the fact that the world he would have given his life to protect was being ravaged again.

And, as he poured all of his emotion into his lightning strong enough to leave burning ozone behind, he fucking hated that MagnaGarurumon kept aiming for Izumi.  He didn't know if it was because Izumi was a girl or if she was simply more annoying with her wind powers, but the majority of his attacks went in her direction.  Few things irritated him more than attempts to kill Izumi.

Unfortunately, even his best lightning did little but make MagnaGarurumon pause momentarily.  It was enough to let Izumi escape yet another barrage of bullets and missiles, which he was grateful for.

It was obvious.  They were losing.

"Stop this, Kouji!" Junpei tried once more, voice harsh though he did his best to temper it. "This isn't how it should go!"

"There is no other path," MagnaGarurumon said. "So that another person will never have Kouichi's fate, we will return this world to peace."

"It is peaceful!" Izumi retorted, a tornado of wind blocking a hail of bullets, just as she unleashed a cutting gale.

MagnaGarurumon growled as he dodged. "It won't be.  Not as long as they exist.  Not as long as there is hatred in this world.  Not as long as there is pain.  I will not let another suffer as Kouichi has!" MagnaGarurumon roared as another burst of missiles flew from his armor.

"Pain exists!" Junpei shouted, lightning detonating the missiles early. "Pain is a part of life!  Pain spurs growth and change!" He slammed his fist into the ground, lightning arching through the earth to burst into the sky.  MagnaGarurumon just barely moved out of the way and was hit by Izumi's slicing winds. "We all suffered, and we all grew during our journey!"

Izumi shoved her arms forward to push away MagnaGarurumon's next dash. "You want to tear down the peace we earned for a possible future?  We won't let you," she savagely declared.  Junpei, through the corner of the eye, thought that Izumi was rarely more beautiful than she was now, winds tousling her hair and righteous fury running through her veins.

She would be more beautiful if the seeds of remorse didn't echo every one of her actions, if hesitation didn't dampen her movements.

"We will not," Junpei confirmed and let lightning fly.  It did little but glance along MagnaGarurumon's wing, and Junpei was almost grateful there was that much.

Distantly, he knew he was tiring.  Even with MagnaGarurumon slowed by the lightning crackling across his frame, he was still far too strong for them.  Far too good at fighting.  But Junpei girded himself, because he refused to back down.  His eyes met Izumi's.

Words passed in the silence.

Izumi shot forward, winds herding MagnaGarurumon away as Junpei concentrated.  Electricity was everywhere, if one looked for it.  It built and built until suddenly it could not be contained anymore, and then it directed itself to the nearest ground.

Junpei was good at being that ground.

And so he concentrated.  All the lightning within him, he slowly bled into the ground.  All of the anger he felt, all of the flaring emotion, he let drain away.  Insulated, empty, but for a purpose.

He always centered himself.  He had a far better sense of self now that he had during his first trip here.  Junpei knew who he was, and he refused to let anyone shake that conviction.

He had to be firm to be the base for both Izumi and Tomoki.

That knowledge?  That self-confidence?  That was the legacy he brought with him from the Digital World.  His personal evolution.

Junpei didn't scream out his power, as he would as Blitzmon or Bolgmon.  He instead whispered an attack name which he knew from his heart, as he did as a digimon.

In the clear sky, a storm brewed.  Power gathered, concentrated, and compressed.  More and more, energy contracted into a single point, until even MagnaGarurumon, distracted as he was by Izumi, could notice it.

But it was far too late.

Lightning roared from the sky, aimed directly for Junpei.  The bolts were a relentless stream of power, arcing through the sky toward their destination, leaving ozone in its wake.  All it knew was that it had to find its ground, and damn anything in its path.

Like MagnaGarurumon.

Junpei screamed as lightning tore through him on its path to the ground, but it was nothing compared to the fact that it was travelling through MagnaGarurumon as well.  And though he kept himself insulated, for a second, Junpei was connected to MagnaGarurumon through their power.

The elements of Light and Lightning weren't all that different the farther you went.  After all, light was a part of the electromagnetic spectrum as well.  And while they didn't complement each other like Light and Darkness or Ice and Flame, they still shared something.

In that instant, they resonated.

When the lightning passed, both of them dropped to the ground.  Though Junpei had already rooted himself there, MagnaGarurumon instead plummeted and created a small crater on impact.  Junpei managed to roll onto his knees and breathed heavily as his weak arms shook.

That...  took a lot out of him.

Further from that, however, was also what he felt.  When he connected with MagnaGarurumon...  When their powers synced for that moment...  Junpei felt more hate, rage, and anger than he ever had before...  Except that it wasn't...

It wasn't what he thought it was.

And beneath it all, there was pain.  So much pain from the sole survivor of two.

For someone who prided himself in his control, Junpei now realized he was paralyzed from the emotional overload.  When he raised his head to where MagnaGarurumon had fallen, Junpei also realized he was so screwed.

MagnaGarurumon's armor had definitely seen its better days.  Pieces chipped off, and it was actually on fire in some spots.

But the cannons on the front still had power.  And though MagnaGarurumon was yelling, "No, no, no, no, no!  I didn't—  I don't—  It isn't—" the tips of those cannons lit up.

Junpei accepted that this was where it was going to end.  As MagnaGarurumon gave one final, tortured scream, the cannons loosed their payload.  He stared forward and his encroaching demise, twin beams of pure light, relentless, inevitable.

Until Izumi dove in, wrapped in her strongest winds.

Time froze for him.  His pupils dilated as he watched Izumi futilely battle back the attack, as the beam ate away at her defenses.  Izumi wasn't looking at MagnaGarurumon but rather backward at him, a small smile on her face.

A scream rose through his belly but locked in his throat.  This scene was all too familiar to him...

In another time and another place with different actors but the same, inevitable attack...

..and the same sacrifice.

_He would not let it be._

Junpei pulled reserves from a place he didn't even know existed as he surged to his feet, lightning at his fingertips.  He threw himself forward, launching everything he had for just a second longer.  He didn't need much, just a moment until—

His arm wrapped around Izumi and pulled her close, and he flung them both out of the attack.

In the aftermath, Junpei cradled Izumi's burnt body to himself as he struggled to his knees.  His eyes met MagnaGarurumon's, whose face, before etched with pain and rage, now was in the throes of deep shock. "No, I didn't mean it.  I don't, I don't—"

He let loose another pained scream, and he rapidly began to flee.

Junpei released a sigh he didn't realize he was holding, only to remember Tomoki and KaiserGreymon's battle.  He turned just in time to see Tomoki's ice shield shatter, and he attempted to move to him but found that he could not.

But he didn't have to.

"Crystal Cloud!" came the attack cry.  A hailstorm of ice rained down, beating back the flames long enough for its user to sweep in and retrieve Tomoki's unconscious body.

Sorcerymon, his snowflake staff pointed at KaiserGreymon, stood tall and proud, with Tomoki under his arm.

"Sorcerymon," KaiserGreymon growled. "I knew we should have killed you."

"It was your mistake," Sorcerymon agreed. "But I'm not the only one you should worry about."

Junpei gave a shocked gasp as digicode surrounded Sorcerymon... except not for evolution.

It instead drained into Neamon, who shined brightly.  With a small smile on his face, he turned his head to them and said, "You should retreat.  I'll buy you the necessary time."

"But—"

"Go!" Neamon said in a sharp tone he had never used in this form. "There is something you need, and I can be the distraction."

"Come, Chosen of Thunder," a rumbling voice said.  Junpei twisted to see Phantomon next to him.  Though he once fought the ghostly digimon wrapped in a cloak as an enemy, he also knew them now to be allies.  Red cloth whispered in his ear, and he saw one gather Tomoki in its folds. "This battle is lost, but you need not be."

"I..."

"Now, Junpei," Neamon said, and then digicode overtook him.

"Live, Neamon!  Live and come back!" Junpei shouted as Phantomon's cloak covered him and Izumi.  There were tears in his eyes, but he still had a clear view as Neamon emerged from the digicode.

He heard one last thing before darkness took him.

"Neamon evolve!  Chronosmon!"


End file.
